American Idol: Paving the Way for Excellence In The Music World

Last year, I didn't really have the opportunity or the inclination to attach myself to the American Idol phenomenon. I thought it was just another glitzy reality show gimmick and even though my voice students begged me to watch, I didn't bother... thinking that it was a waste of time or not musically interesting.

What a difference a year makes! In January 2003, suffering from the shock of an unbelievably cold Northern Ontario winter and needing any kind of diversion to carry me through what I knew was going to be a very long chill, I turned on the TV and selected the now famous Tuesday evening timeslot that belongs to American Idol.

This was quite a reality check, in more ways than one! Who was this Simon Cowell guy and why was he so mean? Where did these talented singers come from? Although in the early selection process many contestants appeared to be rejects from The Gong Show, I was really quite taken with the drive, ambition and absolute confidence that many of these unknown artists displayed. It was nothing short of remarkable and it made me realize and appreciate the wealth of exciting talent waiting to be discovered by the right person.

The concept of American Idol was based on this simple fact… a commitment to audition thousands of singers across the United States with the purpose of discovering a new and exciting singing popstar. With this in mind, I slowly became very addicted to the show, its contestants, the judges, and the contestants.

Well, the weeks zoomed by and I found myself eagerly anticipating the semi-final show and, of course, the Broadway style finalists’ showcase. Generally, I came to admire the work and responsibility that rested on the decision and expertise of the judges. At first, I didn’t really “get” Simon, thought Paula was too evasive, and Randy was somewhere in the middle. However, I quickly did the math and realized that, especially in the early stages, these judges were evaluating hours and hours of musical talent that were compressed into an hour or two hour show each week. Therefore, their televised comments were really only a sample of what they contributed to the show and, quite frankly, the minor disagreements between them added an extra spicy dimension to each episode.

In addition, Simon, Randy, and Paula were very committed to finding a star based primarily on his or her vocal talent and this was a an immensely exciting and long overdue development. Finally, someone was going to be discovered on the basis of his or her vocal ability. What a concept! What a welcome reprise from the present trend of mediocre talent that permeates our lives like a long-suffering, incurable illness.

But… wait… I shouldn’t rush my judgment. I still didn’t have the opportunity to hear last year’s American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. Well, on Wednesday April 9th, 2003, Ms. Clarkson debuted her “Miss Independent” single on the American Idol results show and I was very impressed with her performance and her technique. This young lady can sing! As I watched her perform, I realized that even though she doesn’t quite fit the “Hollywood image” that seems to be so important in today’s music, her talent transcends all of this and this is the sign of a true star. No hype, no smoke and mirrors, just raw, jaw-dropping talent.

And, this takes us to the Group Of Seven… this week’s finalists: Carmen, Trenyce, Josh, Kimberly, Clay, Ruben, and Kimberley. Up to this point, I really feel that, generally, all of these talented competitors could have selected a better repertoire and given stronger performances. Only one singer has managed to sing fairly consistently throughout… Ruben. I feel that the judges are acknowledging his efforts and his commitment to his audience. However, he is starting to lose that wonderful spark and energy that was so endearing in the early shows and, for that matter, the same can apply to Clay. Whether it is fatigue or overconfidence or some combination thereof is very hard to determine, but it is definitely disconcerting at this stage of the competition.

However, if it is true that (in Simon’s words) that American Idol is looking for “the very best” in musical talent, these singers truly have to raise their bar to accommodate the AI goals and objectives. American Idol is and can continue to be the American Musical Dream if it continues to discover and reward the very best and the most musically innovative talent. We need this level of excellence in our lives, totally devoid of hype and media spin doctors and glitzy videos and all the rest of the corporate garbage responsible for the mediocrity of many of today’s highest selling artists.

So, let’s hope that the Group Of Seven really “pull out all of the stops” this week and in the weeks to follow. As a voice coach, I am encouraged that this show really is striving to “push these young performers to their limits,” as this has always been a firm principle in my teaching practice. It is wonderful that now this same principle is being reinforced by the American Idol phenomenon. On behalf of voice teachers everywhere, thank you AI!

Rosanne Simunovic is the Voice Instructor and Conductor for the Timmins Youth Singers.

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